Chapter Twenty-Eight: Night of Terror

Han Li took one look and couldn’t help but sigh—Iron Egg had brought a whole entourage with him; there was nothing left for Han Li to worry about. He decided to stand aside and watch the show, but, unfortunately, he relaxed too soon.

Iron Egg spotted Han Li munching on a cucumber and immediately veered toward him, running and shouting as he came.

“Big Brother Han, save me! My mother’s gone mad—she’s going to beat me to death!”

Han Li was dumbstruck on the spot, and the other people on the street turned to look as well.

So this is what it means to get caught in the crossfire, he thought.

It was already too late to say anything—Iron Egg had darted behind him and was clinging tightly to his shirt.

Han Li forced a smile. “Now, now, Iron Egg’s mother, don’t be angry. Kids talk a lot at this age, it’s perfectly normal. There’s no need to hit so hard.”

“And if you end up hurting him, won’t that make you feel bad? You’d have to spend money on the doctor too—it’s just not worth it.”

Iron Egg’s mother snapped, “No! Today I have to teach him a lesson. I’ve put up with this little rascal for too long.”

“We work so hard to send him to school, and every time he brings back a big, fat zero. If I don’t give him a good beating, he’ll never change.”

“Iron Egg, what grade are you in?” she demanded.

“Second grade,” Iron Egg replied meekly.

Han Li said, “Well then, I don’t know if I should call you sister-in-law or aunt. But to be honest, if a second grader keeps getting zeros, he does need a good lesson. I’d do the same if it were me.”

“But since the boy’s come to me for help today, how about forgiving him just this once? Next time he gets a zero, I’ll hold him down for you so you can really let him have it.”

Iron Egg’s mother glanced at her son hiding behind Han Li, his face still marked by her slap and his clothes in disarray, looking quite pitiful. She was about to say something when the voice of an old woman rang out from the distance.

“Daughter-in-law of Dashan, don’t you dare lay another finger on my grandson! Or I’ll have something to say about it!”

At the sound of the old lady’s voice, Iron Egg’s mother turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Han Li utterly baffled.

“Iron Egg, your mom seems awfully afraid of your grandma?” he asked.

“Of course,” Iron Egg replied proudly, “My dad has three brothers, and there are eleven of us grandkids. Who would dare go against Grandma?”

Han Li looked at Iron Egg’s smug little face and was at a loss for words.

“So, Iron Egg, you look like a smart kid. Why do you always get zeros on your tests?” Han Li asked.

Iron Egg snorted dismissively, “As long as I can write my own name, that’s enough. What’s the point of all that studying?”

“All those people behind the cowshed in the village are supposed to be scholars, and you educated youth are at least junior high grads. In the end, you’re all sent to the countryside to farm anyway. So what’s the use of reading books? I’m not wasting my brains on that.”

Looking at Iron Egg’s face, full of disdain for scholars and convinced he had everything figured out, Han Li knew these words weren’t his own—he must have picked them up from some adult. Still, for some reason, Han Li felt a strong urge to give him a good smack. He took several deep breaths to calm himself, a wry smile rising in his heart. This, he realized, was how most people saw things in these times.

But he couldn’t let Iron Egg off so easily—not after being insulted himself. Time to teach the little rascal a lesson.

“Iron Egg, your surname is Zhang too. How are you related to Accountant Zhang?” Han Li asked.

“Accountant Zhang is my second uncle. He’s the second child from the eldest son of my third great-grandfather’s family,” Iron Egg replied.

“...So whose family is better off—yours or your second uncle’s?” Han Li pressed.

“Of course my second uncle’s family is better off. Their work is lighter, and they get full work points,” Iron Egg replied.

“So do you know why, among all the Zhangs in Shanghe Village, only your second uncle became the accountant? Why not your dad, or your eldest uncle, or your youngest uncle?” Han Li continued.

“If your dad had become the accountant, wouldn’t you be living the good life now?”

Iron Egg scratched his head. “Yeah, why didn’t my dad become the accountant?”

“Because Accountant Zhang can read, write, and do math—he’s educated. Your dad can’t compare in that regard,” Han Li explained.

“That, Iron Egg, is the value of learning. If you don’t study hard now, forget about being the accountant—even if they hand you the position of team leader, you’ll have to watch someone else snatch it away.”

“Then you’ll be breaking your back in the fields for work points, eating pickled vegetables and cornbread every day.”

“The girl you like will look down on you and marry someone else, while you stand by like a fool, watching it happen. Tsk, tsk... Iron Egg, that’d be too miserable.”

Iron Egg protested, “That’s nonsense! Xiaofang said she’ll definitely marry me when we grow up. In a couple years, our families will arrange the engagement.”

Han Li asked, “Iron Egg, if you had to choose between meat and boiled vegetables, which would you pick?”

“Meat, of course!” Iron Egg replied without hesitation.

“If you know how to pick the meat, don’t you think that girl would choose between the team leader and an ordinary worker just as easily?” Han Li said. “You’d better study hard and show some respect for educated people, or else you’ll end up eating boiled vegetables while watching Xiaofang marry someone else. How tragic.”

Shaking his head, Han Li turned and left, leaving behind a stunned and nearly tearful Iron Egg.

Just as Han Li entered the courtyard for the educated youth, Yang Xiuying spotted the cucumber in his hand and ran over eagerly.

“Han Li, where did you get that cucumber? It looks so fresh! How did you get it? Do they have any more? Can you take me to get some too?”

Han Li explained the situation, and Yang Xiuying immediately dragged Hao Hongmei off with her, determined to get some cucumbers as well.

Han Li then took a towel to the river for a bath and stretched out early atop the haystack.

Looking up, he saw the Milky Way arching brilliantly across the night sky, countless stars twinkling—a truly breathtaking sight. Such beauty utterly captivated him. In the future, such starry skies would become a luxury for most people, only visible in a few select places that few would ever have the time or means to visit.

Under this enchanting sky, Han Li drifted off to sleep, though he was destined not to rest well tonight.

The group that had been picked by the team leader mumbled strange things in their sleep—none of it intelligible. One of them even rolled off the haystack, landing face-down on the ground.

Fortunately, the old educated youth were too lazy to stack much hay, so the only injury was a bloody nose. The unlucky fellow let out a howl that startled everyone awake.

In the pitch-black darkness, Han Li fumbled for his flashlight and shone it in the direction of the commotion.

The sudden beam of light gathered everyone’s attention. Following the light, they saw the unfortunate youth sitting dazed on the ground, his face smeared with dirt and streaked with blood—like something out of a horror film. In the dead of night, it was enough to make anyone’s hair stand on end.